Salisbury Mayor Also Upset About Local Bloggers

The outgoing mayor of Salisbury, the largest city on the Eastern Shore (except for summer weekends of course...) recently delivered her state of the city report, and toward the end, also took local bloggers to task, as did Ellen "O" recently. I don't know much about Salisbury or the mayor but I do know a little bit about the blogs there, and one in particular. I suspect that this mayor may be on to something when she said:

"When people are afraid to step forward, run for office, speak on relevant issues, write
letters to the editor expressing individual opinions, then the future is in jeopardy. I leave
this job, an adventure that I have enjoyed with a firm conviction that the people of this
great city need to stand up and say, 'No More'."

She has some really opinionated, aggressive and contentious bloggers and apparently some antagonistic council members, making Ellen "O"'s situation seem like a picnic. What Mayor Moyer needs to understand is that the two bloggers that concern her, that is CP and Muckraker, employ normative journalistic standards. Muckraker and CP are both trained journalists with experience within what is still being called the mainstream media. We check facts and we will correct mistakes that are brought to our attention. We strive for fairness and we contact her, her PIO and appropriate staff for information, comments and for their side of the story. We are not anonymous and we try to present a clear picture of what is going on. In fact, CP eschews anonymous commenters and takes them to task for lack of accountability while they beat up those who are identified in the limelight every day. Muckraker gets public documents, searches through records and tells the story based on the paper trail. CP provides interpretation and analysis, adding personal knowledge of and familiarity with the issues.

As for the Salisbury mayor's comments about fear of stepping forward, running for office etc., I cannot speak about her experiences. However, Ellen "O" knows that CP attends and testifies at city council meetings, has run for office and made many contributions to improving our community, including being a public servant and an inveterate volunteer. She also knows that I have supported and defended her on numerous issues and she knows, if she has any sense of fairness at all, that I do what I do to engage citizens and not discourage them from participating in our civic affairs. I took off the gloves and called for her resignation when she called me and my neighbors "rhetorical bomb throwers" as you have heard me say repeatedly. What she does not know is that I called three of her closest associates and urged them to ask the mayor to make a public apology before I called for her resignation. Apology never came. Calls for her resignation did.

It is our mayor who is adversarial and uncivil, and she has demonstrated this to most of her constituents repeatedly, with or without bloggers.

See the Salisbury mayor's speech, especially page 9 at Salisbury Steak.

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Quotable Quotes About The Murky Market House

(As gleaned from The Capital)

Site Realty executive Richard Cohen said:

"The public should view Mayor Moyer's statements for exactly what they are, a desperate attempt by a desperate politician trying to distance herself from her administration's own failures."

Mayor Moyer said:

"It appears their tactic is to unfairly discredit a person and cloud the real legal issue. We are not going to litigate this issue in the press. We are pursuing our legal options aggressively and we are confident in our position."

Is this a desperate attempt by a desperate politician or is this a matter of unfairly discrediting a person?

I don't presume to have an inkling of an understanding of the legal ins and outs but I have a prediction. I'm taking a chance here but this is what I think. Wait a minute, my crystal ball is cloudy....wait a minute...I am getting an image....I was seeing mediation and binding arbitration...but "Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling is hesitant...wait a minute....based on my experience in a real estate dispute with Kling he fought every attempt to resolve and settle the issue..he forced me into litigation...and he stretched it out as much as he could...and then when we were ordered to mediation Kling and his clients caved in within thirty minutes....and agreed to everything we asked for when we tried to settle....hmm...wait a minute...during the next month, the City Council is going to have to decide whether to keep Kling on as the "Real" City Attorney.....oh wait I am seeing something emerge...a few of our aldermen, including those most well-versed with the law and planning to stay on in the next council are urging the mayor to settle....settle...yes, they are willing to buy Site out of the contract....wait a minute...I see Ellen "O" leaving...she is slipping out of sight...I'm losing the image.......it's gone.....I am left exhausted...it is tiring to communicate with the spirit world....

Yes. I have seen the future....and it is murky. The Market House is murky.

THIS is Annapolis. Not Edward R Murrow murkily reporting on the Market House



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32nd Annual Art on Paper Now At the MFA Circle Gallery

Take a stroll downtown this weekend and see the show at the MFA Gallery...reception on Sunday....visit www.mdfedart.org .

Ann Krumrein, Islesboro Ice Blue


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Two New City Programs

Mayor Moyer and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning partnered today to announce a $100,000.00 grant to raise awareness and protect Annapolis families against the deadly threat of lead poisoning. Visit get the lead out for details.

Annapolis Main Street Program gets Board of Directors. See Main Street for details.

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Ellen "O" On Civil Discourse and A History Lesson

See and hear Ellen "O" admonish her critics and lecture those of us who question her heavy-handed, arrogant and haughty manners, not to mention raise doubts about the activities of her administration. She says that anything in opposition to her is slander and libel.

It begins at 6:28 of this video of her recent State of The City Speech. CP was there, acting in a civil manner no less, and even clapped at the end, out of respect for the mayor and for the office, though you may not see me doing so due to the camera angle. However, you will note at the end that two aldermen shuffled papers and neither looked up, smiled or applauded. (If the video does not load, please go to www.annapolis.gov and click on Part 4.)



Ellen "O"'s words are nothing but an outrageous attack on freedom of the press, and as we have come to see repeatedly, she disregards anyone who questions her administration as merely trying to defame her. Based on what little I know of Lord Baltimore, I have learned that at the time he proposed such a law in 1651, he must have felt rather insecure about his position. The Puritans had won the English Civil War and King Charles I was beheaded. Those who did not believe in their constrained religious and political views would not be tolerated. As a Roman Catholic proprietor of a colony that allowed Roman Catholics to practice their religion freely--the only place such liberty was extended in the English-speaking world--Cecil Calvert and his Maryland colonists were in big trouble. Complicating matters was the settlement on the Severn River, where Lord Baltimore had recently welcomed 300 Puritans under order of expulsion from Virginia and they worried Lord Baltimore as well. That's why he had the General Assembly pass the Religious Toleration Act in 1649 (tolerating only Christian religions by the way) and that's why he tried to ban civic discord in 1651--which is about what Ellen "O" was speaking.

As we all know, bullies, corporations, politicians, military leaders and others used to power always call for civil discourse or fair play when they are on the weakening or losing side. It did not work for Lord Baltimore--and it hasn't worked for Ellen "O". Of course we do need civility and especially during election cycles, but will Ellen "O" do everything in her power to see that it doesn't actually happen?

See the March 11 post for more details at:
Mayor Moyer on Civility...Do As I Say, Not As I Do Or Else, "Expect Sad Calamities"

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Michael Pantelides--Are You Reading This?

Are you running for mayor or not? Readers would like to know. Do you have a web-site?

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Hartley Explores City Ethics Disclosure and Secrecy

Columnist Eric Hartley at The Capital is trying to get to the bottom of why Mayor Ellen O. and her hand-picked (and effectively disbarred for two years) "Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling are refusing to release information about the city's ethics commission activities.

Hartley writes, "But how can anyone have confidence or trust in government when ethical questions are discussed in secret?

That's the problem in Annapolis. The city government refuses to release any of the Ethics Commission's advisory opinions, unlike state and county ethics commissions, which post theirs online."

"Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling is defending the lack of disclosure. Speaking of "Acting", Kling will be up very soon to be officially anointed as "City Attorney" so he can't keep "acting" forever. That is a story we'll need to watch carefully.

Before you run off to read Hartley's piece (in which fellow blogger Arundel Muckraker is specifically mentioned for his work in bringing this story to light--and thankfully the Capital is doing that) consider this--I received a tip many months ago from a reader who suggested that I inquire into the historical relationship between Ellen "O" and Kling by starting with the Ethics Commission. Committee Chair Rex Caldwell first ignored my request. He then sent me a curt email saying basically "Read the Code" to explain why he could not even tell me if there were an investigation about Kling and Moyer. There seems to be a pattern here that Caldwell, also a lawyer, does not take public or media inquiries seriously. Whose side is he on? Do we need to add him to the list of FOE's?

What is this going to take--a court order??? See: Hartley on ethics secrecy

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Mayor Tells Two Aldermen "Bloggers Not Accountable"

Mayor Ellen O. believe she did nothing wrong in awarding no-bid contracts to friends and supporters, but she has angrily told two aldermen that bloggers with whom they spoke about it are only trying to defame her. CP has been given a memo that the mayor sent to Aldermen Israel and Arnett that is typical of her, yet also disturbing at the same time. As readers know, CP and Arundel Muckraker recently broke a story about city procurement contracts, detailing how the mayor hires consultants, including her friends, to carry out her political goals without subjecting them to any form of competitive bidding or any kind of standard recruitment process, as one would normally do with an employee. Of course while CP and Muckraker were reviewing contracts, calls to the mayor from Muckraker went unanswered and now she is upset. Muckraker did get comments from Israel and Arnett for the original story.

Here is the mayor's February 25th memo to the two aldermen:

"If you really believe our personnel employee contract process is flawed, then I would have thought you would have been courteous enough to talk with me. Bloggers are not held accountable for the truth or misinformation, and elected people have no standing to sue for defamation. Capital Projects are bid-employees are not. Steve Carr has worked for the City for 17 years, under 3 Mayors. What exactly is your objection to him?I I find it hard to understand the blogger's objections since 3 contracts of those cited are not supporters or friends. The objections of these 2 bloggers seem to have one goal to discredit me and damage the Moyer name personally. You are both quoted as sharing the muckraker's allegations against me."

To see the memo, click Ellen "O" Is Pissed! (Thanks to Muckraker for supplying this link)

As I see it, there are many serious problems with this memo:

• The mayor is insistent that she did not do anything wrong, yet she admits that some of the contractors are her friends and supporters
• Not only is she clean and without blame, but irresponsible bloggers trying to defame "the Moyer name" are really the culprits
  
• She denies that the "personnel employee contract is flawed" but the big issue is that we don't even have a procurement code
  
• Why did she not say anything about Don Lamb Minor, whose troubling contract simply tasks him with providing oversight" for six projects?
• Where is the "misinformation" or lack of truth? Spell it out. Show the "misinformation" of which she speaks
  
• What makes her think that blogger journalists are not accountable or somehow less accountable than newspaper journalists? Both Muckraker and CP are trained professional journalists
• Contrary to Ellen O's claim, elected people do have standing to sue for defamation, but the libel standard is higher for public figures (see the landmark decision in New York Times versus Sullivan, 1964) specifically to guard freedom of the press...it's just that some elected officials such as Ellen do not like that and truth is always an absolute defense in libel
• Again, where is the problem with "truth or misinformation"?
• Our goal is neither to discredit or damage the mayor or "the Moyer name personally". She does a good job of that on her own. If she always handled her job properly and appropriately, we would not be writing about her.
• Were there allegations made against her? Well, yes. It appears that she violated city rules for procurement and yes, she did give jobs to friends and supporters--as she admitted. But she thinks she is clean and it is only because we bloggers are trying to damage her that we have written anything. We documented everything we claimed.
  
• CP and Muckraker are doing this on our own as public servants--and at risk of being sued by her or anyone for libel. On the other hand, she is paid by us and given our trust. If we were not looking out for the public, who would?
• Finally, I her letter as threatening, and as producing what the courts refer to in such cases as having a "chilling effect" on the free press. Perhaps it is she who should be more careful when it comes to "truth and misinformation". She has already made her antipathy and perhaps malice toward CP and Muckraker well known in a public manner, including in her state of the city speech (see previous post below).
  
• Perhaps she should be consulting with "Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling about such matters. Of course she is probably still angry with CP for breaking the story about how he had been effectively disbarred for two years when she chose him (also a friend and supporter) to serve as our city attorney. When that happened, she angrily accused CP of doing that only for publicity. Now she writes this angry and disturbing memo which again, only brings her more publicity. See the pattern?

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Mayor on State of The City--With A Focus on Transportation

Did you hear Ellen O's speech? I watched and listened carefully and will say I am impressed on many levels, both positively and negatively. Last year I gave her high marks for reasonably managing finances in a city nearly impossible to finance. I'll say the same for this year in some respects, but I don't think she properly addressed the huge needs that are looming. Did you read what I wrote a few days ago in which I made a few predictions about her speech? Check it out at: Mayor to Give "State of the City" Speech Monday. If I may so myself, some of what I predicted would be in the speech, was in the speech.

But I'd like to comment on two things, and concerning the first item, this has already become news since I am posting this a few days after the speech:

1. The Market House--I was shocked that she discussed it because it is such a black mark, yet I thought it was supposed to be hush-hush because THERE IS A LAWSUIT GOING ON and at least two aldermen have told me they could not discuss it. Yet Ellen O. brought up the possibility of condemning it in order to wrest control of it again! Whooaa....talk about a shot across the bow! She said how the tenants have not been paying rent, but she seemed to forget that they have been ordered by a court not to pay rent. Hey--are there any eminent domain lawyers out there? Are there not protections against condemnation actions when a property is in distress or in a lawsuit against the governing authority with the condemnation power? Who is giving our city government its legal advice? Oh yeah...

2. Transportation--My favorite issue. The mayor moved transportation planner Kwaku Agyemang Duah from Planning and Zoning to Transportation. I'd like to know what that's about or what she hopes it will accomplish other than move this professional to the most marginal department in the city politically and geographically. I suspect he has already been marginalized at P and Z. Will it clean up our buses or fix the air conditioners? She says it will help us move people from "Parole Centers" to Washington DC and Baltimore....Huh? Please tell Mayor Moyer that we are a small city with a small urban system and we need to move people in and around Annapolis first. If she could ever talk to the County Executive, maybe then we could build a regional transit system, but we already cut routes from Kent Island and to South County and now she talks about Parole to Washington to Baltimore? What about us right here IN the city? This is like so many things we seem to do in Annapolis by trying to be the tail wagging the dog.

Which staff person was she talking about to work on alternative transportation and bicycle initiatives. I welcome this but she was vague. Who will this be? What is this position?

Moving parking enforcement officers (PEO's) back to Transportation? That's where they were years ago and then were moved back to Police and now back to Transportation again? For what purpose? I hope this requires council approval and they don't give it. Yet another reason why I say nobody is really in charge of parking in this town but the PEO's do enforcement as in "E" and Transportation does transportation while Police do enforcement. Will somebody please get this figured out?

Stop working on buses to Washington until we get our own system in order. Stop lying to us about a partnership with Dillons' Bus Company. There has not and is not a partnership with Dillon's and she knows it and if she is using scarce city resources to support a private bus system--that would appear to be...inappropriate perhaps?

She wants to market the shuttle buses going by the Knighton Garage. How come there has not been a marketing plan? What is the transportation marketing specialist doing?

Outsourcing bus maintenance? Thank you. It is about time but the problems there are just the tip of the iceberg. I guess it was too much for your director to handle? It took you eight years to figure out how bad this situation had become? Perhaps if you or your city administrator had actually gone on a bus ride or visited that department, you might have known this earlier.

While Cordle and Shropshire were present as aldermen, where were all the other mayoral candidates? I only spotted Trudy McFall, but then again, she alone among candidates has consistently remained visibly active and involved in every city issue, even for a year or more.

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Mayor Moyer on Civility...Do As I Say, Not As I Do Or Else, "Expect Sad Calamities"

In her recent state of the city speech, Ellen O. took on the local bloggers of the world. Read her own words:

"One of our greatest challenges this City faces comes at a high cost, but has no dollar amount attached to it. Our ability to be civil with one another and interact without accusing or pointing fingers is a challenge I have tried to address since my first year as mayor. The “Let’s Talk Annapolis” forums and luncheons, the Civility Panel and discussions, were all part of an attempt to open a dialog and make the city better through the ideas of its own residents. During this election year, we need to keep discussions open with a civil approach to problem solving involving city officials, the public and the media. As a courtesy to the next Mayor and Council, here is a little fact that has been lost through the years, but once ruled the harsh tongues in the New Colony of Maryland. A law against spreading false news and information was proposed by Proprietor Lord Baltimore. The law declared: “Spreading false news to make discord is punishable by common law, with fines and imprisonment.” An attempt to create a civil environment has been the focus of leaders dating back to Lord Baltimore. In 1651, commenting on rumor and intentional false statements in a letter, he stated, “… A government divided in itself brings confusion and much misery upon all the people under it, within the creators of such division, the fomenters of discord must justly expect sad calamities from the same if they do not in time see and rectify the same, for the public peace and welfare of the people under the government,”…

The focus of Lord Baltimore’s comments of law, were part of the New Colony’s formation and success. The spread of intentional falsehoods could not be tolerated. These same principals are used today regarding slander and libel. 358 years later…. the fight for civility continues!"

Indeed it does....Ellen O....indeed it does and we will continue to fight for civility as long as she remains mayor. We remember how she ran to the newspaper to call her constituents "Rhetorical bomb throwers" and how she called a fellow alderman's attempt to reform our government "an assault on representative government"...yes she--the thin-skinned, blamer flamer! We know how she argues and browbeats every citizen who comes to testify before her, how she does not let us get a word in if we disagree with her. We know how she cannot stand it when anyone disagrees. So I had to chuckle when she spent part of her valuable State of The City speech to yet again wag her finger in some of our faces and tell us about public discourse, quoting from historical accounts no less. But I have to wonder, about who exactly was she speaking?

She seems to have forgotten a very different reference to free speech in English history when she hosted the deputy head of mission from the British Embassy who praised bloggers as the pamphleteers of the current era. See here: Mayor Ellen "O" Hosts Deputy Head of Mission at British Embassy---Praises Bloggers!!

For the historical source of the quotes from the mayor, see this digitized reference on page 674 of this excerpt from "History of Maryland" by John Leeds Bozman. I warn you that it is written in a formal and almost impenetrable prose. See the Letter or Message of the Lord Proprietary at Expect Sad Calamities.

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Weak Mayor? Strong Mayor?

In his March 8 newspaper column mainly about the ongoing "Marketgate" disaster, Bob Burdon, executive director of our local chamber of commerce wrote:

"Anyone who understands the charter of our city's government knows that we have a very weak executive form of government, with most authority vested in the City Council. Former Mayor Dean Johnson's comment in an article on the Market House last week about mayoral power when dealing with city issues is somewhat overstated."

I thought I understood a few things about the city's charter, yet there is disagreement over whether or not our mayor (as in office not person) is to be labeled "weak" or "strong". That is of course subject to interpretation. What some believe constitutes a "strong" mayor is veto power and perhaps even a line-item veto, but if power is invested politically as well as financially, we have always had a strong mayor system. Our mayor may not have a veto, but is not only the chief executive but also the chairperson of the board, one of the strongest arguments for having a city manager in order to separate the powers. Aldermen are restricted by law from interfering in operations of the government.

The mayor has the power of being elected city-wide. Aldermen come into office often with a thousand votes...or fewer (sigh!). The mayor proposes the budget AND has a vote in approving it. The mayor sets the agenda and tone (and how we know...) for council meetings. The mayor has a staff and enormous sway within the budget and financial operations--after all, the mayor appoints the finance director and every other director. The mayor and that finance director prepare the budget. The mayor signs contracts and hires people on contract (oh how we know). The mayor even has a full-time spokesperson, a lawyer, a city administrator and other aides. The mayor appoints members to boards and commissions. It takes people to get things done--or to not get them done. The mayor has that power over people because of politics and money.

And the council? They have a vote. Period. Not to belittle that vote, but each alderman must either side with the mayor or against the mayor with every vote. A fellow alderman may "retaliate" against an alderman with another vote, but a mayor can do a whole lot more, especially when budget time comes around.

I have known all of the mayors since the 1980's and many of the alderman, and while some mayors will say the council has too much authority, and some, if not most aldermen will say the mayor has too much authority, no local observer of government I have spoken with believes that the council really controls city government. A few alderman in the last 25 years have lamented to me what little power they really have. Simply look at the number of people the mayor can hire and fire and how much control that represents. Then add up all those salaries and you can see that the mayor controls a huge portion of the budget and therefore power, right there.

Yet if some believe that the council holds the power, just remember that the mayor also has eleven percent of those votes, yet only needs to use his or her enormous pull as council chair to grab four more to win every vote. The mayor only needs to know how to count to one plus four. The mayor can offer much in return for a vote, or vice verse. What can an alderman offer --except a vote?

So to Mr. Burdon who wrote, "Anyone who understands the charter of our city's government knows that we have a very weak executive form of government, with most authority vested in the City Council", I have this to say: Anyone who understands politics and how things really work in Annapolis knows that we have a very strong executive form of government, with most authority vested in the mayor.

See his column at: Burdon . (And Bob--how come you never returned my call when asking for comment about that scathing rebuke of a letter I received about you???)

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Cops Catch Man Who Copped Some Copper ...Will He Try to Cop A Plea?

From Our Department of Absolutely Dreadful Puns and Wordplays in Headlines, we bring you the latest from our City Police Report:

Copper Thefts: Several incidents of copper downspout thefts have been reported recently. Police have charged 27-year-old Donald Raymond Zelder in connection with these crimes. The downspout thefts were reported in February and early March from homes and businesses in the downtown area. Mr. Zelder lives in the 200 block of Cadle Avenue, in Edgewater. At last report, he was being held at the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on a $3,000 bond. (09-001205)

I wonder if we could also get the guy on storm water violations due to downspout removal? I also wonder if he is the same guy who stole the copper and aluminum from me a couple of years ago? Did anybody not see a guy removing downspouts and running away???? Why do I keep referring to him as a guy?

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Mayoral Candidates and Their Web-Sites: Part One

CP will be reviewing the web-sites of the various mayoral candidates, and maybe even their Facebook or Myspace sites. Keep in mind that web-sites are useful not only for content, but also for contextual information. They tell us, for example, how organized and methodical are the candidates, and how comfortable they are with communication technologies. They show us about their attention to detail and clarity. We must not forget how Obama's campaign was so effective in so many areas versus that of McCain's campaign and how the winner used technology as had never been used before. Today we take a look at the site for Wayne Taylor. It is but one page with a photograph, which I think is rather remarkable in that it frames him with a large cross and an American flag. It reminds me of Mike Huckabee's technique of zooming in on the window frame to show a large cross behind him. Okay, here we go (my notes in ALL CAPS BOLD):

Wayne Taylor

For Mayor

“One Annapolis”

(CP ASKS: WHERE DID WE HEAR THIS "ONE" THING BEFORE?)

Wayne's Five Points of Life
(CP ASKS: FIVE POINTS OF LIFE? SOUNDS LIKE A THOUSAND POINTS OF LIGHT)

Education –Regarding our schools cluster there will be a continued working relationship with the Mayor’s Commission on Education (this commission is the result of legislation written by me during my term as Alderman) and the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Office of Equity Assurance and Human Relations to promote continued wholesome breakthroughs for all of the students in the Annapolis cluster. (WOW THAT WAS A WEIRD SENTENCE--STARTING WITH "REGARDING" ....SCHOOLS NEEDS AN APOSTROPHE as in SCHOOL'S ...PROMOTE CONTINUED WHOLESOME BREAKTHROUGHS SOUNDS LIKE AN AD FOR BREAD OR A BREAKFAST CEREAL...ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL'S OFFICE OF EQUITY ASSURANCE OFFICE IS SUSPECT IN MY BOOK..WHAT HAS THIS RELATIONSHIP PRODUCED OTHER THAN MEETINGS?) Civic education is where the Annapolis city government empowers the non-profits, which are grant participants, help our citizens navigate thru issues which keeps them raising there economic levels. (ANOTHER WEIRD SENTENCE....BUT "THRU"?? I BELIEVE HE MEANT "THEIR" ECONOMIC LEVELS)

Crime-We must develop a civic education approach to crime. Since most crime occurs in or around our pubic housing neighborhoods, we must first evaluate the issue that holds these families in the bondage, thru collaborative resources bring them up to the playing field. Followed by police cameras and action. (DID YOU CATCH THAT "THRU" AGAIN? BUT THE BIG TYPO IS THE BEST ONE OF ALL---PUBIC HOUSING!!! I LOVE IT...DID YOU CATCH THAT ONE? WHAT DOES A "PLAYING FIELD" HAVE TO DO WITH CRIME? WAS THAT LAST SENTENCE A COMPLETE SENTENCE?)

Transportation- Over three years ago envisioning (DO YOU MEAN Envisioning WITH A CAPITAL E?" IT WAS LAST YEAR AS I RECALL) Annapolis and other groups have to meet (OVER THREE YEARS AGO....HAVE TO MEET?) to compile information concerning the insufficient of transportation in Annapolis. (THE INSUFFICIENT WHAT OF TRANSPORTATION??) We must first move those ideas on paper to conceptual plan, and then begin to approach our friends on the federal and state level for realistic assistance to mov

e these from thoughts to reality. (ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT THE LAYOUT WAS NOT EVEN CHECKED, WHAT DOES THAT SENTENCE REALLY MEAN?)

Infrastructure- We have critical situation regarding our water and sewage pipes running under our city. (WE HAVE CRITICAL SITUATION?) Some of these pipes are very old and need replacement. They create traffic detours and traffic backups at the most unavoidable times. There must be a plan over the next 5 to 10 years to replace this system in a affordable manner. (I'VE GOT NEWS, THERE IS NO WAY TO DO THIS "AFFORDABLY"...BUT I AM GLAD YOU BROUGHT IT UP...DID YOU WORK ON THIS WHILE YOU WERE AN ALDERMAN?)

Environment-We will approach this issue on many fronts. Educating communities to ways they effect the continued deterioration the Chesapeake Bay, develop job training collaborations regarding storm water runoff projects both in communities and arteries leading into the Bay. (THIS SENTENCE IS SO BAD I AM NOT SURE WHERE TO BEGIN....BUT...THE WORD IS "AFFECT" AND NOT "EFFECT" AND I BELIEVE YOU MEANT TRIBUTARIES AND NOT ARTERIES) The most important thing is to bring innovative energy solution tools to be used in the city government building. You can also encourage their use in private buildings as well so everyone can be on the same page to have a green energy saving plan. (WELL, I THINK THE CANDIDATE NEEDS TO GET THIS PAGE ON THE SAME PAGE....)

What I'd like to know is what did the candidate do about any of these issues during his brief tenure as an alderman? It seems that Mr. Taylor is quite enamored with the idea that education can address and solve most of our social problems and he refers to education frequently. While I applaud that in concept, I am wondering if that means more spending, more taxation, more government involvement and programs or what does it mean? Remember that the mayor is limited in school involvement. And finally, doesn't education normally begin with the "three R's" as in reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic? Perhaps the good candidate would do well to set an example and use proper English on his web-site... and then we'll talk about education.

You can see it all here: waynetaylor.us/ .

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Graffiti --Often More Than Meets The Eye

CP has covered graffiti incidents before because this can be much more than just a random and innocuous form of harmless vandalism. Often it is linked to gang activity, but it is always an anti-social act showing blatant disregard for property. Allowing graffiti to remain is like allowing broken windows and glass to be scattered about. Cleaning up graffiti in the New York subway system was directly linked to suppressing other criminal activity. I am pleased to see that our police department had made these arrests. Now all we can do is hope that the "justice system" does its part. From The Annapolis Police Dep't:

Release Date: March 6, 2009

SUBJECT: Arrests in Graffiti Spree

(Annapolis, MD) - The Annapolis Police Department has charged three additional people with destruction of property in reference to recent graffiti incidents in Annapolis. In all, six arrests have been made in these cases. Five of those arrested were juveniles. Paul C. Carter, who is 20 years old, was also arrested. One of the juveniles arrested is an Annapolis resident.

Over a four-day period that started on Sunday, February 22nd, there were approximately 25 locations that were targeted, with around 100 separate tagging incidents recorded. A task force investigating the crimes has linked the suspects to approximately 75 of these acts of vandalism. The Annapolis Police Department received assistance during the investigation from the Anne Arundel County Police Department and local school officials.

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Annapolis Not So Alive....and Chuck Weikel, Ellen O's Legacy Building And Interminable Term

CHUCK WEIKEL WANTED: ANNAPOLIS ALIVE!!!!

More from the Wacky World of Weikel....Well, finally the local newspaper has done some investigative reporting, this time by starting to uncover some of the layers of mystery that surround the recent Annapolis Alive celebration, all part of Ellen O's legacy-building endeavor. This time it centers around Annapolis Alive head, none other than Chuck Weikel, who continues to leave trails of disappointment and disdain all over Annapolis. (For the record, CP participated by giving lots of free promotion to Annapolis Alive events...)

In today's piece, Weikel is identified as the city's former parking coordinator. That was a special FOE job, a job he had while the Knighton Garage sucked money from the city's coffers. And all the while, Weikel, the former principal of a failed business in Illinois continues to be employed as a high-falutin business management consultant with the Kinsella Group of Chicago. He continues as a member of the Anne Arundel Democratic Central Cominterm--but if they dump Weikel or he blows town, we'll get stuck with another FOE in his place--none other than Dr. Julia Elizabeth Garraway, herself recently exposed by CP.

CP got word months ago of how Weikel left local businesses holding the bag fot Annapolis Alive! and did some preliminary investigating. At that time, some folks weren't talking and CP could not do the local newspaper's job--it's amazing it took them this long, but they did it....finally.

The big question remains is how far does it go? Does it lead to Ellen O? How is it related to the FOE Karen Engelke scheme to pay her boyfriend? How about the minting of the commemorative medallions Ellen O. ordered? Where and when will it all end???...

Only time will tell....and only if the local newspaper keeps prodding and pushing...don't give up...there is a big story here but I ain't getting paid to lay it bare 'cause writing this blog is laying me bare...

Word on the street is that as her interminable term comes to an end, Ellen O. is focusing on legacy building...got that local newspaper??? Legacy building.....there is your story...now go out and dig and earn your pay...oh, and another tidbit...Weikel is the one remaining member of the city's transportation board...yes the only one....a post he held while also working as an FOE contractor, supposedly as parking coordinator, at the same time an employee of the transportation dep't also held the same title....

Has anyone seen or heard a peep from Weikel lately???? As much as I hate to do it, I again must refer you to the local paper for the story: Annapolis-Alive-Dead on Arrival

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Mayor to Give "State of the City" Speech Monday

And now, in anticipation of Monday's speech, a poem:

Let us all listen and learn
What is the state of our city?
Money all gone or money to burn?


Ellen will say that it's pretty
We know her words we must spurn
I'll bet the city's state is shitty

And speaking of something to burn
What will she say, Ellen "O." Ellen?
We're not closer to Heaven...but Hell'n!!

I can just imagine the speech: "The state of the city is good. Finances are sound, we are well managed, crime is down...."

Well, maybe. Here are my thoughts.

Look for her to express scorn and anger, point fingers and play the blame game. It's her thing. She'll begin with finance and talk about our tax rate and our favorable bond rating. She'll try to paint a pretty picture about our budget and ignore the fact that she made it grow almost as fast as health care and education...way beyond the cost of living and inflation increases. She'll talk about the stimulus "shovel-ready" project requests she has submitted (we'll want to see those details for sure...), but I'll bet they are mainly Ellen O. legacy building projects.

The mayor may make some remarks about the Market House, but will brush it with how she is handling the situation in a proper manner. She may say how nice it is to have City Dock working so well--and I am told it came in under-budget and under-cost, so yes, that is nice. She may make mention of progress related to the Sailing Hall of Fame. She may ignore the debacle continuing at the police department renovations and she may not say a word about how we are in danger of losing our accreditation. The fire department may not be getting accredited either I have been told.

She'll probably tout how well the construction of the new recreation building is coming along--and it does appear to be progressing. She will likely talk about parks and trees--those are her pet projects. She will probably not talk about our frighteningly threatened water and sewer infrastructure or how much that may cost to repair.

I doubt she'll discuss the huge number of contractual workers she hand picks that cost us millions
of dollars and I doubt she'll say a word about our mismanaged transit system, our county-city relations or relations with the state. At least she can report that we have nice relations with our many sister-cities.

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